Gone
by Meirell
Summary: a new character, dead things, and pain. that's all that's left in the wake.
1. Chapter 1

"Don't fall."

The darker one snorted in the others general direction. 'Don't fall' she says... Feh... he folded his arms, his usual glare on his face. It was dark out now, but still not cold. This was no problem for the two of them. The heat was enjoyable, considering that they were both from a rather hot climate... zone, if that's what you wish to call it.

"Come now... it's not nice to keep your guests waiting, is it....?" The sentence rolled off her tongue like hot butter as her fingers laced behind her slim backed robe. Her emerald eyes looked over to the other, washing over his taller features.

"I don't need any more encouraging..." said the other. He took two half gloved hands and pressed them together, as if praying. But there was no way the dark purple energy consuming them was from the holy action.

The girl that had been beside him phased out, like a bad TV screen turning off and blinking to that livid white super nova.

The purple energy continued to pulse around his hands as he slid one palm on top of the other facing them out to the city in front of him. The lights were ablaze in the city below, as it was night now, making them all oblivious to the disaster upon them.

"Heh... feeble humans..."

And with that, the energy expanded in a brilliant flash and consumed the small but glorious sea-side city of Station Square.

* * *

The skyline was peaceful in the subtropical regions of the mystic ruins. High and far above them lay the shrouded floating island, home to the one and only, Knuckles the Echidna.

His life and duty, the master emerald, sat at its usual place, on top of the newly restored stone shrine. He had a lot of extra time to devote to his one and only love, and he was now digging out the trenches on the side to repair the fountain. Perhaps the master emerald would like it better like the old days. He knew chaos would.

Most of the chao had finely started returning to the island and were wandering about the shrine, going on about their business. His chao was sitting up on the next level of the shrine, watching lazily as the red one worked away.

For now the echidna had a 'broom'-or something which functioned like one- and was sweeping the remains of the dust and plant life out of the water trench. His hands and feet were bare as he used the tied up leaves on a stick to push the pile along. The lower trench that he was working on was much bigger than the other two above him. But this one was much easier to clean out considering it was wider and he could stand in it instead of having to balance precariously on the sides.

He sat down and patiently began to push the pile over the lip of the trench, finding this job to be the most patient testing of them all. Suddenly, something plopped onto his head making him look up with his purple eyes and noted one of the small blue creatures occupying the top of his head. He gently lifted the chao and gave the pathetic looking creature a good quirked eye brow. It looked as if it had been kicked around for a while and then thrown a great distance into a berry bush…Gozaila Berries from the smell of them. "Hey…? What happened to you little guy…?" he said, holding him and standing up. His chao came down from its perch and was hovering next to him with it's tiny red wings, looking at its smaller cousin.

The chao whimpered and then started to cry. Knuckles instantly went into his usual parent mode, trying to calm the poor thing down. Then a red flag went up.

Now let me explain what a red flag is. A red flag is a signal in your mind that is a warning of something bad to come. Here it was warning the red echidna of the hedgehog stalking down the side of the mountain on the far side of the island; something that was not supposed to be there.

His head was instantly facing it as his dreads marked his motion around his scowling muzzle. 'How did he get so close…? I should have felt him sooner…' His defenses went up as he sat the injured chao down and told the red chao, ik'thr, to watch after him as he went and dealt with this new intruder on his island. He stomped on his shoes and was pulling on his gloves as he crossed the bridge in record time, meeting the man half way.

The hedgehog had on a robe that hid most of his features, all except for his glowing purple hands, sickening psychotic smirk, and the dark marks under his eyes. He is still shorter than the echidna but not by much, though that energy did look rather lethal…

"Who are you!?" shouted the crimson being, getting in a defensive stance. "And what are you doing here?!" This guy was starting to ring a serious bad vibe with the echidna.

The others smirk turned into one wicked, sharp toothed smile that gave even the hardened guardian goose bumps. "I'm here for your island…" And before Red could even manage a puzzled look, the hedgehog clapped his hands together in front of him, sending out a massive wave of the energy, encompassing the entire island…


	2. Chapter 2

Else where, on the quiet planet below, several people were celebrating on very special kit's birthday…

"Happy Birthday, Tails!"

The little fox's eyes widened in surprise as he walked into his not all to familiar work shop. The stained, burned and dinged metal walls were now covered in vibrant signs and colorful chains of paper loops. The floor seemed to be covered with little sequins and millions of pieces of confetti…

And all of his friends were spread out among his things, hidden until just moments ago.

"Hey little buddy!" said the all to familiar voice of his favorite hero and best friend. "Happy birthday!" He shoved a plate full of his favorite chili cheese dogs into the kitsune's hands. "Eat up! There's a lot more where that came from!" said the blue hero, rubbing his finger under his nose with that famous grin on his muzzle.

Tails smiled happily, taking a seat at a long table that the others had dragged in. "Thank you everyone!" he said, practically drooling over the wonderful food and the beautiful gifts placed in his 'new' work shop.

Mostly everyone from the Freedom fighters were there, but some of the others had to stay to protect the King, who could not attend because of the treaty signings that were taking place today in another city. Other than the few that were guarding the king and the city, they were all here. Even the Chaotix had made it this time around. Sadly, Knuckles had not been able to take time off from his 'job' to come and celebrate but had sent a small green package with the Chaotix.

Sally stood and made a wonderful speech on how, now that Tails was older, he was to be given more respect and how he was also not to be teased about the fact that he finally fit his ears.. She was interrupted by one of Sonic's witty comments and instead ended with a happier note; that they could start opening presents now.

Tails made a haul. Sonic had gotten him that famous chili recipe and Sally had given him a brand new wrench with adjustable tension. Bunnie and Antoine had gotten him some new parts for his work shop, like Rotor and most of the others had. He was just about to open up the small green box that Knuckles had given him when the door flew open and Rouge burst through.

"We have… *huff puff* a big Problem you *uff!* guys…" She was out of breath and looking rather rough around the edges at the moment, something never done for the infamous spy. The thing being carried by two other furs was probably the reason.

The being was mostly burned and covered in a deep green ash, though places of red shone through here and there. There were long tentacles coming off its head most charred and burned off in places. Its hands were burned and warped in a bloody looking cloth that peaked at two points around its knuckles seeming to be the remains of gloves of some sort, it was hard to tell.

Then two slots on its green charred face opened to reveal two dark purple orbs and they blinked wearily, trying, and failing horribly, to focus on their surroundings..

All the air seemed to drain from the hanger as it caught in the lungs of those who were seated there.

* * *

The echidna was rushed into the kitsune's bathroom and was cleaned up thoroughly, washing off all the bad smelling green ash, rubble, and other nasty bits while rouge explained that she had found him on the beach after spotting the red glow from the air while on one of her rounds..

The echidna didn't speak through the whole ordeal. Nor did he move of his own volition. He was like a hollow shell and it was scaring everyone to differing degrees…

Rouge now had him in the kitchen and was evening his burnt dread locks out. She looked up as Sonic and Tails entered the kitchen, Amy, Sally and the Chaotix hovering around by the door. Everyone else had been sent away to organize a search party.

Rouge looked up hopelessly, her eyes still red and puffy from the ash -supposedly.

"So how's he doing…?" Sonic asked a worried look on his face.

Rouge looked up and shook her head. She looked down at the battered and bandaged echidna whose eyes seemed to pierce through the kitchen cabinet in front of him.

"He hasn't responded to anything…" She said, trimming off some more of the burnt fur. "Voices… sounds…" she waved her hand at a wound on his shoulder that had been recently wrapped. "Even…" She paused and winced at the memory of stabbing him. "…pain…"

Sally's eyes went wide. "You STABBED him?!?!" she shouted angrily. She pushed past the startled pink hedgehog trying to rush the other woman before vector and Mighty grabbed her.

"Rouge!" sonic said, grabbing her by her shoulders and forced her to drop the scissors. He wiped her around to face him and yelled, "are you insane rouge?! You might have killed-!" He suddenly stopped when he saw her Azure eyes well up with tears.

"He didn't move!" She shouted, shutting her eyes letting the tears flow. "He didn't twitch, he didn't wince, he didn't even blink!" she shouted, her tears turning to little streams as she began to shake. "He didn't… He didn't do anything…" she sobbed.

Sonic signaled for Amy and Sally to go and take the unstable bat into the other room while he and the Chaotix would try what they could.

"Maybe he just needs food!" Charmy piped in, hovering around Vectors head. Mighty and Espio agreed and tried to force feed him some liquefied food while Sonic and vector pried and held open his clamped jaws. Charmy was allowed to spoon feed the poor form While Tails was left to watch for any reactions.

Nothing was happening. The Food sat in his teeth and even when they tilted his head back to see if it would just slip down his throat, he would stop breathing. They tried everything, even holding his nose and forcing him to swallow. It didn't work.

Tails gasped suddenly and jumped back, and pointed at the red one's face. "Guys!" He paused, his light blue eyes wide with surprise and what was apparently sadness. "He's… He's crying…"

They let got of his head in a snap, letting the food slosh down out of his drooping mouth and into the bowl being held by Espio. Sure enough, sliding down the red demons cheeks were silvery, glassy, tears.

"Knuckles…?" Charmy whispered, looking at his fellow comrade with worry.

"Knuckles!" Sonic said, shaking him a bit. There was something wrong… besides the fact that the echidna wasn't on his island and the guardian was in the worse shape he had ever seen him. And considering he had died twice before, this was sad.

Then he spoke. "Gone…"


	3. Chapter 3

The word was a bit shoddy because of the remaining slop in his mouth, but it was still there and the others knew he had spoken. "What…? What was that Knuckles…?" Sonic asked, looking into the watery purple eyes.

"Gone…"

Sonic jumped up with a huge smile on his face, leaving room for the happier Mighty and Vector to clean up the dribble. Sonic was in the living room in the blink of an eye. "He Talked!!" he shouted, the excitement and happiness that his friend had some kind of interaction with the rest of the world, pathetic though it was.

The three girls were up and on Sonics heels as he skidded back to the kitchen. He entered only to find his friend being held by the giant green croc and the chameleon as he shook and jerked around in violent spasms.

"IT'S GONE!!!" He wailed, pulling against the others as Mighty and Tails jumped onto him to replace Vector as he was kicked off his hold. "IT'S GONE IT'S GONE IT'S GONNNNEEEE!!!!!"

All the happiness from the other four who had just entered the room faded into the pits of their stomach to dissolve away in the sulfuric acid as they watched the wrenching echidna squirm and shout as his red fur turned to a darker color from the tears and blood from the re opened wounds.

"LET ME GO!!!!" he screamed punching Mighty off and pulling away from Tails. Turning for his escape, he sent himself crashing through the nearest window and out into the blurred and darkened jungles of the mystic ruins.

Amy just about feinted at the sight but held it together as Sonic issued orders for them to take care of the others as he and Rouge and Espio went after the tattered one by way of the front door…

Knuckles didn't need to know, nor did he care, that the others were following him. None of that mattered now… he had to find the master emerald! Surly that had survived the hedgehogs attack.

He made his way away from Tails' work shop and prepared himself for a glide to where the others couldn't reach him. But as he jumped, he realized his torn and broken body couldn't take it and he rolled down the side of the hill with a loud thud and crack instead.

But he couldn't stop… He had to find it! Angel Island must still be up there… He had to go home! Home! Oh by the gods that was such a wonderful word… he would stay there and heal, and collect the chao from hiding and-

He had stopped moving by now and was on his hands and knees on the coarse sand. Something small lay in front of him. As the blue hero slowly approached the shaking echidna he realized what it was.

The 'thing' looked like its red skin was burnt off, exposing flesh where fish had gnawed on the twisted corpse. There was no blood now. No… it had been a while since the thing had fallen and finely washed up to the beach.

"Oh my…" Espio said, spotting the poor thing lying on the beach. Rouge looked like she was going to be sickas the guardian drew the red chao near him.

"ik'thr…" Sonic whispered.

Knuckles sat back on his feet, clutching at the small dead chao, muttering its name, over and over as he began to rock back and forth. Tears were streaming down Knuckles' face and Sonic was a bit stunned.

The blue one had seen the echidna through some tough times, bad and horrible, but not once had he seen him cry. This was all new and strange to him and he felt like he had been pushed outside his comfort zone and into one laden with nasty spiked and bombs. Well... perhaps not all too unfamiliar.

Of them, none dared to draw any closer to the distressed being and they all hung back watching him shake and cry.

Knuckles knew it now… Chaos would have protected these chao within the last of his essence. He would have saved them from…anything… He would have… Everything…

"no…"

It was all…

"No…!!"

Gone.

"NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!"


	4. Chapter 4

The Echidna screamed it at the top of his fiery red lungs, making sure the gods would feel the pain and emptiness in his broken and shattered life. The gods would know how he cursed them for sending him...that hedgehog…to his island… Perhaps they would be kind enough to pass on the curses to his ancestors for leaving him there to his fate…

Everything…

Was…

Gone…

Rouge was the first to try. "Knuckles, I…"

He turned his face from her and simply stood. He stood on his own accord and turned and started walking down the green beach. Wait… Green…?

Sonic eyes widened as soon as he realized that the beach was covered in the same green ash that they had found all over Knuckles and now the body of his chao. He looked back at his friend, watching him wobble for a moment. "Knuckles!" He was right under the guardian when he fell. He caught the heavy load of mussel with Espio's help.

Rouge whimpered as the ragged corpse rolled out of the echidna's bloody arms, the blood being his own. Espio told her to go back to the house and get some bags and a box for the chao, letting her leave the scene.

She nodded hastily as the two males staggered up the beach with their unconscious comrade and laid him out in the cool grass as they collapsed on either side of him.

They were quite for a moment and then Sonic looked over at the Chaotix on the other side. "What do you think happened…?" he asked, turning and beginning to tighten some of the loss wrappings on the echidna.

The chameleon on the other side was silent for a moment, his face creased with a worried scowl. His frown dipped even deeper as he said, "Do you remember the report on the destruction of station square a few months ago…?"

Sonic winced and nodded, remembering the area of nothingness where there used to be thriving buildings and hundreds of people.

He nodded and continued. "The only thing that was left was the skeletons of the buildings and a few… remains… and the ashes…."

The blue blur looked up in realization. "…were green…" he opened his mouth to question further but the renewed Vector and Tails, and the girls -Sally and Rouge- were returning with the first aid kit, the bags and the box.

Tails was sent out to collect samples with vector while Rouge and Sally tended to the re-opened wounds on Knuckles with the first aid kit. Sonic and Espio tended to the remains of the chao, sealing it in the box properly and shut it tight. They would take care of the Chao once everything was cleared up here.

* * *

Soon, everyone was off to knothole where the rest of the freedom fighters were already in mourning…

"What's going on here…?" Sally asked, turning to rotor for some insight into the problem. The fact that the guardian was hurt wasn't enough for this sort of tension.

The walrus' face was drawn tight, a worried look written hard across it. "I'm sorry Princess… The negotiations were cut short and the King returned early saying that the Ambassador had to report home on some urgent business." He paused, looking off in a different direction as Dr. Quack bustled down the hall way and into the E.R. to take a look at Knuckles.

Princess Sally looked a little crossed that he didn't continue and urged him on. "So what was it…?" She crosses her arms, sharing the frown that Rotor wore. Something had happened and she wanted to know about it…and Rotor was delaying it. Dangerous.

He coughed and then looked at the princess, immediately shrinking back from her angry glare. "Er…well…ya see…"

She began to tap her foot and he instantly continued. "The ambassador was to contact us as soon as he had discussed it with the ruler …" He shrugged. "He didn't report back so we sent Colette out to see what had happened." He paused again but with another forceful glare he continued. "When he came back, he reported that the entire place was nothing but a pile of rubble and green ash…"

"Green ash…?" She put her hand to her chin, her eyes wandering up into thinking mode. "That's the same thing that we found all over Knuckles and it also lined the beach in mystic ruins…"

Rotor nodded. "Something might have happened to Angel Island." He looked up at her with an overly worried look. "I hope it's not like the ambassadors land…" he squeaked.

Sally nodded, taking this all in. There was now a great possibility that Angel Island did not exist… Then there was the possibility that the Master Emerald was either lost in the ocean or that, it too, had been lost along with the island. This was horribly awfully bad...

"Thank you Rotor. I'll have to set up a search party to see what has become of the Island. I hope it's nothing to serious…" With a wave of her hand, she dismissed the walrus and headed for the royal chambers to talk with her father over the matter.


	5. Chapter 5

Several search parties were sent to the mystic ruins; one to cover the beaches, one to cover the jungle and another to search the air. Sally had sent Sonic and Tails to search the ruins over, considering the young kit knew them well. They were now on the dilapidated wall, looking down at the greenery.

"well Sonic, there doesn't seem to be any ash anywhere near here." He looked up from the scanner and then at Sonic. "It must have been up really high for all the ash to just collect on the beach and not land all over the ruins." He punched a few more buttons and listened to it beep for a moment.

Sonic scowled. "Well… all we can do is wait for the others to find the island." He smirked and looked down at Tails as he looked up at Sonic. "The whole thing couldn't have just poofed into green ash."

Tails managed a small smile. "Yeah, you're right, Sonic." Some of the worry faded from his face but was only replaced by sadness when he remembered his red friend in the E.R.

Sonic noticed his worry and ruffled his best buddies' hair. "Don't worry. Knuckle-head 'll be fine… He's to stubborn to…" The blue one trailed off, not wanting to finish the thought. Though, some how, he still managed to keep part of his smirk abroad his face.

Tails, on the other hand, looked even sadder.

The elder was about to try and comfort him, but was halted by Sally's voice over the radio. "We've… We've found it." Her voice was muddled over the plane engine, but it came through clear to the two friends. "We've found Angel Island. Repeat. We've found Angel Island, over."

Sonic poked Tails and pointed to his workshop, telling him to get the plane ready. "Sal? Sonic, over."

There was static then the night wolf's voice came over the radio speaker. "Sonic… it's…" She stopped and the static was gone.

Sonic paused and followed Tails and then stopped at boulders they used to climb down. He switched on the radio. "Sally?"

"Sonic… Go check on Knuckles. Make sure he's ok… Over." Static.

Sonic ran up and jumped to where the bi-plane was tethered at the top of the cliffs. Tails had already started the engine and was prepping it for take off. "Sally? What's going on, over?"

There was static, as if she had the button held down on her end, but her voice did not speak.

"Sal?"

Still static.

"Sally! Pick up and tell me what's going on!" he ordered, managing a small bark of an 'over' at the end.

"There will be a debriefing at the base. Attend it." And with that, her radio was cut and his end went silent.

Rather perturbed that information was being kept from him, and that he had to WAIT to find out about it, he tossed the useless radio to the ground and then looked up at the kit.

The small fox was situated in the plane, looking rather content, though a bit confused as to why his friend was taking so long. The kits big blues seemed to bore into him, saying, 'lets go! We have to help!', and so they would.

The famous smirk appeared across the blue one's muzzle, tossing him a thumbs up before jogging over to the started plane. He'd take a quick look at what Sally had discovered, then make it back in time for the the ever so entertaining briefing. Sally didn't have to know.

He hopped onto his usual vantage point, the top of the bi-plane's wings, and locked his feet into the restraints. "Alright, Tails, let's go see what we can see!"

The kit smiled and shouted an, "alright, Sonic!" over the whirl of the engine, and gave him a thumbs up. The plane began rolling, making it's way down the run-way, the propellers pulling it along until it locked it's self into the catapult.

The smaller being pulled a few levers and pushed a few buttons as the ramp in front of them escalated to a 45-degree angle for take off. Settled in, the chord pulled them up and threw them out over the ocean with tremendous force.

The hunk of metal went soaring, the engine kicking up and pulling them through the air as they headed higher for a better view. The ocean was serene, the birds flying below them calming, and the soothing waves making slight blotches on the clearer waters below. The two of them could even note the slight details of the larger water-going animals and the sudden turns of the schools of fish. It was just a beautiful as it always was.

Sonic smiled happily to himself, spreading his arms and letting the wind whip through his quills. This was a great feeling and he really enjoyed his flights with the twin-tailed kitsune. His fingers laced through the wind, seeming to entwine them in the life-sustaining element as if it were a pet.

The calming sensation was decidedly better and much needed for the scare he had received earlier today, but the feeling was misleading, so said the kits voice and stuttering as they circled over to where Sally and the others had been.

Picking up the trace from her communicator on the tool bored, he was able to find the spot, though at this height and with this clear of a day, it was hard to miss the looming marker they had left behind. Below, other craft could be seen resting atop the soft waves, staring down into the dark abyss seemingly lured by the incorrigible amounts of glowing green seaweed covering the surface.

Interruptions could be seen dotting the rather large expanse, and, upon flying closer to the scene, could be made out as tree trunks, hallowed and burned, along with other like remains.

The kit took the bi-plain in circles about the area, gradually gaining height on it. Getting a better view of the area, they noticed just how wide the entire thing was… big enough to sustain several environments at once, carry great lakes and huge mountains along it's birth… perhaps even a shrine.


End file.
